Challenger Player Spotlight: Amazingx and Kikis

Fnatic’s Academy team crushed their way through the Challenger Series Qualifiers and looked to be headed straight for the LCS Summer Split. The needs of the Fnatic LCS squad took over, causing them to lose their star jungler. It wasn’t until veteran LCS jungler Maurice "Amazingx" Stückenschneider joined that they were able to turn things around, along with the help of top laner Mateusz "Kikis" Szkudlarek. All their hard work has lead up to the Playoffs this Sunday, so we took the opportunity to catch up with them beforehand.

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How has the split gone for you?

Kikis: The path this split was a lot rougher than anybody anticipated. We were fighting hard and training hard to get to LCS, and while in the first week we smashed PSG 2-0, but then we learned that the main team was pulling Broxah because they had problems with Amazingx. We weren’t left with many options, so we played two weeks with Dan and even though he tried his hardest and we tried our hardest, it was hard to make it work together. Everyone was still sad we lost Broxah, because we didn’t have much say in it. After we lost in Week 2 I had to go to the hospital for eight days, I had a bacterial infection and I had to stay to not get a stroke, and after this I came back and we went 1-1. After that we knew we needed to practice, and then we got Amazingx, and the first week we practiced hardest and were able to secure our second place finish with a 2-0 against Team Kinguin. When we had Broxah we were really confident, and then the couple of weeks in the middle were rough, but now with Amazingx we are even more confident than before that we’re going to beat PSG and make it to the Promotion Tournament.

Do you think you’ll be proud of this team after the matches on Sunday?

Kikis: I think we practiced so hard and everyone gave their best, and Kubz is such a good coach, that I don’t think there’s another team that can actually stop us. So after this I think we’re really strong, and PSG won’t have much against us.

Who do you think will win in your match on Sunday against Paris Saint-Germain?

Amazingx: I think we’re going to win, otherwise I wouldn’t have come here to play. I think beating ourselves will be the hardest part, that’s what the series will be about moreso than beating our opponent. It’s more about achieving what we can actually accomplish, reaching our maximum potential and doing our best.

What is it the one thing Fnatic Academy do the best?

Amazingx: In comparison to the other teams we maximize what we have as a team. Every one of our assets, every one of our players is actually able to achieve their individual potential within the team environment simply because of how the team is structured. So even if you have individually weaker players that are maybe able to shotcall more, they’re being put into that position and aren’t being left behind. So you have the strengths of everyone being used, while the weaknesses are covered.

What are the weaknesses of Fnatic Academy?

Amazingx: Generally just our nerves. Even though we’re veteran players in a lot of cases - because we have me, Kikis, Klaj, and MrRalleZ who all played in the LCS - I still think that in the end we’re sometimes prone to losing our focus, and that’s because of nerves. If we can fix that issues, and keep our focus for all five games - or hopefully three - it should be good for us and result in a victory in the end.

Are you afraid at all of Paris Saint-Germain?

Amazingx: Actually no, I don’t think I’m scared of PSG. I realized that they have made a great addition with Whiteknight in the top lane, because for some reason the team now clicks even though Steve might have been a better team player, they suddenly now strive to be the best again. It seems like fresh blood helped them out, so they are on a surge right now. It’s a bit of an x-factor, because we haven’t played against Whiteknight, so that’s the only thing I can imagine being a thing. But no, I’m not afraid of PSG, I’m just afraid of ourselves.